Stegner wears a reminder on his wrist, a band with his grandson's name.

His face on Wednesday reflected the seriousness of Tuesday's heroin legislation.

"Naloxone or Narcan is the number one to me because it saves lives," said Stegner. "It would've saved my grandson's life if it would've been available quick enough for him."

In Fort Mitchell, Jason Merrick talked about the upside of the new bill. Merrick used heroin, cocaine, meth, grew up in a household where drug use was common.

He's now clean and committed to helping others recover.

He's encouraged St. Elizabeth Hospital will get hundreds of Narcan kits, believing the crisis must ultimately move to medical professionals and away from the courts.

"Maybe the first few times someone uses heroin it is a choice, but it quickly devolves into a situation where the individual is not in control anymore," said Merrick.

In 2011, heroin overdoses at ER's in Northern Kentucky numbered 252. Last year they hit 745, a stark indication of the steady rise in heroin use.

While increasing penalties for dealers who transport drugs across the state line, lawmakers adopted a tiered system that leans in the direction of treatment for those caught with small amounts. They also opened the door for needle exchange programs and a good Samaritan clause that removes the fear of prosecution for someone who calls in an overdose.

Ron Calhoun, who has done prolific research on the extent of the heroin problem in Northern Kentucky, praised the heroin bill as a lifesaver.

"We will never arrest our way out of this," he said. "We don't have enough rooms in jails. People need treatment."

Stegner delivered clothes to the Grateful Life Center on Wednesday. It is a treatment facility for addicts.

There are routinely dozens of them on the waiting list to get in. The wait can be two months.

"Two hours was too long for my grandson," he said. "He wanted in one of these recovery centers and he couldn't get in. We need more beds."